


Moving On, Moving Forward

by afteriwake



Category: Doctor Who, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-13
Updated: 2013-12-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 05:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/535920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With his marriage over, Rory must move on, and a new friend at work sets him on the path to a new life involving the world's only consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lotl101](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lotl101/gifts).



> I got a prompt from the lovely **lotl101** about having Rory and Sherlock live together. This was the second answer and was originally supposed to be a big bang entry but I’m stumped on it so I’m writing a different story for the big bang. I’m not sure whether I want this to go Rory/Molly or Sherlock/Molly, so any suggestions would be lovely.

“I’m sorry.”

Rory cringed slightly. Not at the voice; Molly Hooper was a nice person, and he knew she meant well. But word had gotten around St. Bart’s that his marriage had imploded and he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear anyone else’s apologies for it. They didn’t really know Amy…there was a whole lot about his life that they didn’t know, whole swaths that would have just made him seem delusional. They didn’t know about the Doctor or River or his time spent as the Last Centurion. They didn’t know that he’d traveled the stars or traveled through time. They just knew him as Rory Williams, nice enough guy who had a model for a wife at one point and was now going through a divorce.

He looked over at Molly. He knew she meant well. She always had. Even though they worked in two separate parts of the hospital their paths crossed on occasion. When he went to her department to deliver a body they talked for a bit. So he knew she was nice and caring and all of that. He just didn’t want to get into this conversation with her. But she looked at him expectantly, and he nodded to the seat next to him. “Thanks.”

“I heard you were staying in a hotel right now,” she said quietly. “I…I have a friend. Well, rather, more of an acquaintance. And he needs someone to share his flat with him, and when I heard about you I thought I might tell you.”

He nodded slowly. It was true that he was currently staying at a hotel. Not a very nice place, either, but he was trying to save his money as he searched for other lodgings. He hadn’t had much luck, so maybe this was a good thing. “Who would I be staying with? Someone from the hospital?”

She shook her head. “Do you know who Sherlock Holmes is?”

He pretended to think for a moment, but in reality he knew exactly who she was talking about. His daughter was a huge fan of the consulting detective’s. “The one they said was a fake genius who jumped off the roof a few years back?”

She nodded. “He isn’t a fake genius. And he isn’t dead. I helped him fake his death.” She looked at him. “He just returned a few weeks ago. His old roommate had moved out, gotten married and lives with his wife now. And he came by to visit me last week, to check in. Mentioned that John wasn’t there anymore. And it’s really not a good idea for him to live alone, especially now. So…I was thinking you might want to meet him, see if you could stand living with him.”

Rory was quiet. She didn’t know that he knew the truth about Sherlock already; his daughter had studied all about him, even written a paper on him that was published at some point in the far distant future. It was a perk of her living in the 51st century. He knew he really was a genius, and a hard man to live with. He knew all about John Watson and Sherlock Holmes and their friendship, and how Sherlock had faked his death because of a man known as Moriarty. She didn’t know that River had dragged him and Amy along to meet him on one of the excursions they went on. But the prospect of having a roof over his head that wasn’t a seedy motel was tempting, and Sherlock probably wouldn’t even remember him. It had been a brief encounter, and he had spent more time talking to River than paying attention to either him or Amy. So perhaps it would be all right. “Sure. I’ll meet him.”

Molly grinned at him. “Excellent. He’ll be here around four to take a look at one of my bodies. Why don’t you come down and talk to him afterwards? You can wait in my office while he does his examinations.”

Rory nodded. “Sounds fine to me.”

She stood up and looked at him. “I’ll let him know you’re coming. See you later, Rory.” He watched her walk away, his mind thinking about all the different ways this meeting could possibly end. But if it went well and he moved in, then perhaps that would be a glimmer of good light in the miserable turn his life had taken since Amy kicked him out.

He didn’t know what had changed between them. He just knew there was more bickering, more fighting. She seemed antsy and was easily irritated. At first he had tried to understand, tried to make things better, make things work between them. But it seemed as though she’d just given up, didn’t want to try any more. The fight two weeks ago had been the last straw and he’d left. She filed for divorce five days later.

It wasn’t supposed to have been like that. He had waited two thousand years for her. He’d guarded her with his life. He’d helped rescue her from Demon’s Run because that was what he needed to do, to have her close. They had lost so much but he had thought things were going to be okay. But perhaps the love he had for her wasn’t enough. After all, it was common knowledge that he loved her more than she loved him. Maybe her love was gone and his love for her wasn’t enough anymore.

He finished his lunch and went back to work. His shift was over at three thirty, so he spent some time in the locker room before heading to Molly’s office. He got there before her other guest did, and he and Molly chatted for a few moments before they went into her office and she showed him where to sit and wait. Then she went back out and after about five minutes he heard Sherlock enter. He went to the office door and looked out through the window.

Yes, it was the same man he had met before, only he seemed thinner, more like a pile of bones then a normal person. This was a stark difference for him. It looked like the man barely ate and rarely slept. He watched as Molly pulled a body out for him and he examined it. It didn’t take him very long, and when he was finishing Rory backed away from the door and sat back down, waiting for Molly to come get him, which she did a few minutes later.

“Sherlock, this is Rory Williams,” she said. “He’s a nurse here.”

“Hello,” Sherlock said. If he recognized him he didn’t let on.

“Hello,” Rory said.

“I was telling him about how John had left, and how you needed a flat mate, and he needs a place,” she said. “You two might be a good fit.”

“Perhaps,” Sherlock replied. “How long ago did you get separated from your wife?”

“Two weeks ago,” he said, surprised. Maybe he did recognize him after all.

“Ah,” he replied with a nod. “I live at 221B Baker Street. Can you be there tomorrow morning, at eight?”

Rory nodded. “Yes, I can be there then.”

“Very well,” he replied. “I will see you then.” Then he turned to Molly. “Thank you, Molly. For everything.”

“You’re welcome,” she said with a warm smile. “Would you like me to bring you some food tonight?”

Sherlock thought for a moment. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

“No problem,” she replied. With that, Sherlock left, and only then did Molly’s smile turn down at the corners a bit. “I worry about him,” she said quietly. “He definitely isn’t the same as he was. In some ways he’s better, more humble, but in others…” She sighed. “I hope you two get on well. You both seem like you could use a friend.”

“I guess,” Rory said after a moment.

“I mean, do you spend time with anyone else outside of work?”

He shook his head. “Not really.”

Molly gave him a smile. “Then you do need a friend, Rory. You deserve some happiness in your life.” She hesitantly placed a hand on his arm. “Things will get better, you’ll see.”

“Maybe,” he said, looking down at her hand. She lifted it up, but the smile was still on her face when he looked at her again. “I should get going.”

“What are your plans for dinner?” she asked.

“Thai take-out,” he said.

“Would you like a home cooked meal instead?”

He blinked. He’d been living on take-out and cafeteria food for the last two weeks. Something home cooked would be nice. But wasn’t she supposed to be eating with Sherlock? “I thought you had plans. With Sherlock.”

“I still need to cook the food before I take it,” she said with a chuckle. “I can make enough for three people.”

“All right,” he replied with a nod. “Thanks.”

“No problem. I was only waiting for Sherlock to come take a look at the body before my shift ended. Do you have your own car?”

He shook his head. “She kept it.”

“Ah. Well, I have a car, and there’s enough room for both of us.” She went into her office for a few minutes, and when she came out her lab coat was off and she had on a regular coat. “How do you feel about stew?” she asked when she came out.

“That sounds good,” he said with a nod. He followed her out, keeping up the stream of conversation as they got to the employee parking and got in her car. He buckled his seat belt and looked over at her. “Thank you for all this, Molly.”

“Not a problem,” she said as she got them out of her parking space. “I like being nice.”

“And you are being very nice,” he said with a nod. “I think I needed this.”

“Well, I’m glad I could help,” she said.

“I have a question, though, and forgive me if it’s forward.”

“All right,” she said with a slow nod. “What is it?”

“Do you fancy Sherlock?” he asked as he looked at her, and saw a slow blush creep up her cheeks.

“A bit, yeah,” she said with a nod. “But we’re…we might be friends. I don’t know. He’s been gone a long time, and I think I had an easier time with him coming back then everyone else, except maybe Greg.” She glanced at him and he must have looked confused. “Greg Lestrade, with Scotland Yard. He worked with Sherlock a lot on the cases he solved.”

“Ah,” Rory said with a nod. “I thought most people thought he was a fake.”

“Most still do. But I don’t, and Greg and John didn’t. He’s got to prove himself all over again, I suppose. It’s different this time. He’s on his own. John…doesn’t want much to do with him. He’s hurt over the whole thing.” Rory watched as she gripped the steering wheel tighter. “He was a mess for a long while after Sherlock faked his death. I was the only one who knew and I couldn’t say a word. John’s not too happy with me either right now, I guess. I don’t blame him.”

“It must be a hard position to be in,” he replied, and was rewarded with a nod.

“I didn’t have many friends before this all happened. I lost a few over it. Greg and I talk, usually have a pint once a week. I hadn’t spoken to John much once he got married, and I doubt he’ll talk to me right now. So really, all I have right now is Greg and Sherlock.”

“And me.” She looked over at him. “I consider you a friend. Or I’m starting to, at any rate. I don’t have many other friends right now, so it wouldn’t hurt to consider you one.”

She smiled at him. “Why, thank you, Rory. I guess I’ll have to consider you one of my friends, too.” She turned back to the road. “Did you have any friends you lost over all this stuff with your wife?”

“One,” he said, thinking of the Doctor. And then he remembered River. “Well…two. It’s a bit complicated.”

“Well, who knows? Maybe you can get them back as your friends.”

“Maybe.” It might be easier with River, seeing as she was his daughter, but the bond between the Doctor and Amy…that wasn’t going to be easily broken, and if he ever found out about their separation and pending divorce he knew that the alien would do one of two things: take Amy’s side and whisk her away to give her an adventure so she could forget, or try and get them back together. He was betting on the latter, knowing how much he loved the idea of the Ponds. Whether he could actually _do_ anything to help them was another matter.

They stayed in a companionable silence until they got to her home. She parked her car on the street and they got out. After making sure the car was locked up she led the way to a brick building. “I’m on the third floor,” she replied. “And the elevator’s broken, so it’s a bit of a walk up.”

“Ah. Got it,” he said. They made their way up the three flights of stairs and then walked down the hallway a bit until they stopped outside a door. She got her keys out and opened up the door. He stepped inside, curious as to what her home would look like. It was homey and lived in, and bigger than he would have thought. “This is a nice place,” he said with a nod.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. She set her purse on the table and shrugged out of her jacket. She hung it up and then motioned for him to do the same. He got his jacket off and hung it up next to her and then followed her to the kitchen. “You know, I don’t know very much about you, to be honest. What sorts of things do you like? Where did you grow up? Why did you decide to become a nurse?”

“I guess I don’t talk about myself much,” Rory said as she went to her refrigerator. “I’m rather closed off, I suppose.”

“Well, if you don’t want to share that’s fine,” she said. “Would you like something to drink? I have water, juice and a bottle of pale ale, if you want one of those.”

“I’ll take the ale,” he replied. She pulled it out and handed it to him, then gave him something to open it with. He hadn’t started drinking since he got kicked out, mostly because he still had to work and being a drunken sobbing mess wouldn’t be good. He got it open and took a drink. “I guess I can tell you about me. I’m originally from Leadworth. It’s a small place, but it’s not so bad.”

“I’ve always wondered what it would be like to grow up in a small village,” she said with a smile, pulling out the ingredients for the dinner. “Were you bored?”

“Not really. I grew up with my wife, and she had a vivid imagination. Between her and Mels it was never boring.” It didn’t hurt to think about Amy as much as it had before. That was a good sign. “Came to King’s College when I decided to go to school. I’d wanted to be a doctor when I was young, but I couldn’t afford that much schooling. Nurses do a lot of the same, and I could handle that, so I became a nurse.”

“You ever regret it?” she asked. “Sometimes I wonder why I got into my field, when the hours are long and such.”

He grinned slightly. “No, not really. I did other things for a while and came back to nursing.”

“Like what?”

“I was a guard,” he said. “Worked security, guarded priceless things.” He had to be careful with this conversation. “But I didn’t do it long. After a while I decided to go back to nursing, back to helping people.”

“I don’t think I’d be able to just guard something,” she said with a nod. “It might get too boring.”

“It was boring sometimes,” he conceded. “But when it wasn’t…well, when it wasn’t I just remembered how much more I’d enjoyed being a nurse.”

She chuckled. “At least you weren’t scared for your life.”

“Yeah, there is that.” He took a sip of his drink. “I like to think I was good at it.”

“Where did you work?”

“At a museum.”

“Did you get to study the things there?”

“Sometimes.”

“Were you with your wife then?”

“No. We hadn’t gotten married at that point, and she was away.”

“Probably modeling or something like that,” Molly said as she began to cook.

“Something like that.” He took another sip of his drink. “We got married young, but we each had a chance to live it up before we settled down.”

“Somehow I can’t see you as a party boy,” Molly said with a smile when she looked at him. “I can see you traveling though.”

“I have done a lot of traveling,” he said with a nod. He had to change the course of the conversation. “What about you?”

“Me? Travel? I was too busy with school, and then with work. I’d love to go places, but I have too many responsibilities.”

“Where would you like to go?”

“America,” she replied. “Somewhere where it’s warm and sunny most of the time, where I can go lie back on a beach.”

“I went to Utah once. It was warm and sunny, but no beaches, I’m afraid.”

“That must have been an interesting trip.”

“Oh, it certainly was.” He set his drink down. “You can do it, you know. Rumor has it you have vacation days you never take.”

“I know. I have at least three weeks worth. But it’s no fun to travel on your own, and I really only have two friends.” She paused. “Three friends, I mean.” She turned to look at him. “It might take a little while to remember we’re starting to be friends.”

“It’s okay,” he said, giving her a small smile. “It’s going to take a while for me as well.”

She smiled back and went back to the cooking. They kept up an easy stream of conversation about things that weren’t as important, and he found they actually had a lot in common: they both loved science fiction, though for different reasons, they were both following “Game Of Thrones” on the telly, they both enjoyed comic books and liked Marvel over DC, and they both took immense pleasure in following their favorite football team, though they liked different ones. By the time dinner was served with some crusty bread and a small salad he felt as though she really was on her way to being a friend. They ate their meal and he thought how much nicer this was than take-out in a seedy hotel.

As they finished he offered to do the dishes. She said he didn’t have to but he insisted, saying it was the least he could do for the good food and the even better company. She divvied up the leftovers and then pressed a plastic container into his hands for lunch the next day. He was thankful his hotel had a refrigerator and he said he would give her the container back the next day he was at work, the day after tomorrow. She offered to drive him back to his hotel, and he gladly accepted. They left her apartment and upon pulling up to the hotel he said hopefully it would only be one more night. She nodded, wished him luck the next day, and he stood by the entrance as he watched her drive away. All in all, it had been a good evening, and hopefully the next day brought a change in residence.


	2. Chapter 2

Rory got out of the cab at 7:45 in the morning. He had hoped being early wouldn’t make him look too eager to move in, but it was his day off and spending any more time in the dingy hotel room hadn’t been all that appealing. He went to the door and knocked. After a moment it opened, and a pleasant looking older woman stood there with a smile on her face. “Oh, you must be Rory Williams!” she said brightly. “Sherlock said to expect you, though you seem a bit early.”

“I am,” he said, giving her a slight smile.

“I’m Mrs. Hudson. I own the place,” she said, extending her hand. Rory shook it. “Sherlock is already up and about, so come in. I’ll let him give you the tour. I have to dash. I’m having breakfast with some friends soon.”

“All right,” he said. He came inside and then she shut the door behind him. The place looked nice and cozy, lived in. It reminded him of his own home a bit, and he felt a pang of regret for everything he had lost.

“Sherlock? Your guest is here,” Mrs. Hudson said as they walked up the stairs to the common room. Sherlock was over by the mantle. The first thing Rory’s eyes zeroed in on was the skull on the mantle. He looked around more and saw other oddities, and then he saw the smiley face riddled with bullet holes. He wasn’t getting overly concerned by all this, but it did give him pause.

“Rory,” Sherlock said, turning to face him. “You’re early. Not that I’m surprised.”

“Spending any more time in the hotel room wasn’t all that appealing,” he said with a slight shrug.

“Thank you, Mrs. Hudson,” Sherlock said with a small smile towards the woman.

“You’re very welcome, dear,” she said with a wide smile back. “I’ll charge him the same as I charged John, if you remember how much that was. And he can either have John’s old room or the basement.”

“All right,” Sherlock said with a nod. “Thank you again.”

“See you both later, I hope,” she replied, and then she left.

“Have you eaten yet?” Sherlock asked. Rory shook his head. “Mrs. Hudson cooked breakfast. She made more than I could eat, probably in hopes I’ll fatten up a bit. She thinks I’m skin and bones.”

“No offense, but you kind of are,” Rory said.

Sherlock inclined his head towards him. “All part of neglecting to take care of myself for the last few years,” he replied. “But you would know all about that.”

“So you did recognize me,” Rory said with a sigh.

“Yes. It doesn’t hurt that River Song popped up more times than the one where she brought you along. I got curious and told her to tell me the truth. At first I didn’t want to believe her outlandish story, but then she used her…vortex manipulator?” Sherlock asked. Rory nodded. “She used that to take me to Luna University. At that point I knew I had to believe her.”

“That’s River for you,” Rory said with a slightly humorless smile. “Always meddling.”

“Without her I may have been gone much longer, if I ever returned home,” he said, moving over to the kitchen. Rory followed. “I owe her my life.”

Rory blinked. “Well, then I’m glad she helped,” he replied.

“She knew your marriage was ending. She told me if I ever got back to London and you were looking for a flat mate then it was over. That was why I asked about your wife yesterday.” Sherlock went to a cupboard and got two plates down as Rory looked at the food. Indeed, there was too much food for one person, and it still looked warm. Sherlock got utensils and then handed a plate, a fork and a knife to Rory before getting something to serve the food with. “I get the feeling the two of you do not reconcile.”

“Well, that’s good to know,” Rory said.

“I believe I would like to repay part of my debt to your daughter by making sure you have good lodgings. She cares for you very much, and helping you would make me feel like I’m doing something she would approve of.”

“Thank you,” Rory said as he took the utensils Sherlock handed him to serve the food and began fixing a plate. “I wish it turned out differently, but Amy just…she’s different. I don’t know what happened.”

“I don’t either. Your daughter did not divulge that information, and I did not ask.” Sherlock began making his own plate. “The rent is reasonable, and if I were you I would take John’s old room. It’s larger. Do you have furniture?”

“No,” he said. “Amy kept everything.”

“John left his bed when he moved out two years ago, and I believe his dresser as well. They’re in the basement bedroom. We can both move them upstairs for you to use.”

“That would be nice,” Rory said with a nod. The two of them went to work getting their breakfast ready, and then they went to the table. Once they sat down Rory spoke again. “I don’t know you very well, but I know a lot about you. Are you going to be hard to live with?”

“I believe my estrangement from my friends has changed aspects of my personality that will make it easier to live with me,” Sherlock said before taking a bite of his food. “And as I feel I am repaying a debt to your daughter I will try especially hard not to push you away.”

Rory nodded. “All right. Then I guess I’ll move in.”

“Today?” Sherlock asked.

“Yeah. I have the day off so I might as well do it. Since it’s not the first should I pay Mrs. Hudson for the whole month?”

“I will cover your rent this month, whatever it is,” Sherlock said. Rory blinked, slightly surprised. “You need furniture and food. I’ll look at this as another way to help.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Rory said.

“Yes, I feel I do.”

“River must have saved your life more than once,” Rory said before taking a bite of his own food.

“Many times more than I’d realized by the time she did it in front of me. I mean no disrespect to your daughter, but if she was not a good person I could see her taking over Moriarty’s criminal network and running it better than he did.”

Rory chuckled slightly at that. “Yeah, she probably could.” He took another bite of his food. “I’m surprised she’s not trying to get her mother and I to reconcile.”

“Maybe she knows it’s best,” Sherlock said with a slight shrug. “After all, she knows all about your future. Maybe something good comes out of all this.”

“Maybe.” Rory looked at him. “Did she say ‘spoilers’ to you a lot?”

“You have no idea how much I hate that word,” Sherlock grumbled slightly, looking at Rory, who grinned wider. Sherlock wore a smile on his own face after a moment. “I believe I heard it at least three times every time we would meet up. Usually more if I was especially inquisitive.”

“Yeah, I think that’s her catchphrase,” Rory said with a nod.

They lapsed into silence a bit as they ate, and when they were nearly done Sherlock spoke again. “You know, I think the two of us will get along just fine,” he said. “Or at least I hope we do, at any rate.”

“I do too,” Rory said with a nod. “I did have a question, though.”

“All right,” Sherlock said. “What would you like to know?”

“Is your friend avoiding you completely?”

“You mean John?” Sherlock asked. Rory nodded. “Yes. He wants nothing to do with me right now. Why?”

“I just thought you might want someone to help you out with your cases,” he said slowly. “If it doesn’t interfere with work, I’m willing to help. I mean, my daughter told me a lot about you, and what you do seems interesting. I’d like to help, if I could.”

“I could definitely use the help,” Sherlock said with a nod. “Thank you for the offer, Rory.”

“Any time.” Rory stood up. “Where should I take this?”

“Into the kitchen,” Sherlock said, standing up as well. “After this we can begin moving the bed up to the bedroom and reassembling it, and then move the dresser up. I suppose after that you should work on getting your things here and getting any other items you might need.”

“That means going back to my home, and I don’t think I’m ready for that yet,” he said with a grimace. “I’ll just buy new things, I suppose.”

“Very well. Let’s get the dishes in the sink and then we can begin.” Sherlock looked at him. “I think this will be a good decision, in the end.”

“I hope so,” Rory said, and he really did hope that was the case. It would be too hard if it didn’t work out in the end.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, I’m glad you moved in with him,” Molly said with a smile three days later as she spotted Rory at a table in the cafeteria.

He grinned back at her. “Turned out we had another mutual friend, and he believes helping me have a better roof over my head will make her happy,” he said. “It hasn’t been bad so far.”

She set her tray on the table and sat down. “Who is your mutual friend?”

“A woman named River,” he said, hoping she didn’t press. “She’s helped him in the past.”

“Ah. Does she live around here?”

“No. She lives somewhere far away.” He decided to change the subject now before it got too much more on a subject he didn’t want to discuss. “I offered to help Sherlock with his cases.”

“He said that when I saw him a few hours ago,” she said as she looked at her tea. “I’m glad. He does better when he has someone to bounce theories off of.”

“I can imagine,” he said. He took a bite of his food. “I expect it will be interesting. I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“I think Greg will like you well enough. And whatever Sally has to say, take it with a grain of salt. She is not Sherlock’s biggest fan. He’s a decent man, better now than he was before.”

“I suppose if I’m helping him I’ll see even more of you.”

“Probably,” she said with a smile before picking up her tea and taking a drink. She made a face. “The bagged stuff always leaves such a bad taste in my mouth, but it’s either this or bitter coffee, and I’m not a coffee person.”

“I love coffee,” he said. “One of the things I didn’t like about staying in the hotel was I didn’t have a coffee maker. I had to buy overpriced coffee from a coffee shop if I wanted it, and it was costing me a lot.”

“Well, maybe I’ll get you some coffee as a housewarming gift,” she said with a chuckle. “Sherlock also said you liked to cook, and had made dinner the last few nights.”

He nodded. “I enjoy cooking. It’s a nice stress relief from this job.”

“Maybe one day I can come over and try something you make,” she said before taking a bite of her own food. “If that’s not too forward of me, of course.”

“No, you cooked for me. It’s only fair I return the favor. This reminds me, I still need to return your container to you.”

“Are you going to cook tonight?” she asked. He nodded. “What are you going to make?”

“Beef stroganoff,” he replied. 

“Why don’t you give me some of the leftovers in the container tomorrow?” she suggested. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had that.”

“I can do that,” he said with a nod and a slight grin. “I just have to make sure Sherlock doesn’t eat it all. As thin as he is, I’m surprised at his appetite.”

“It’s been a long while since he’s had home cooked meals,” she said. “I’m sure he appreciates the good food.”

“I know he does. And it feels good to do a little bit to help him out, after everything he’s doing for me.” He looked at his watch. “My lunch break just flew by, it seems.”

“That’s usually how it goes,” she said with a smile. “Never long enough to get off your feet.”

“Very true.” He stood up. “I’ll bring you leftovers tomorrow, but…would you like to come over tomorrow night? I’ll be getting off at four and I can have dinner ready by six. We can think of it as a housewarming party.”

“I’d like that, Rory,” she said with a nod. “Should I bring anything?”

“Maybe something for dessert?” he suggested.

“I can pick something up on the way,” she replied. “I’ll be there at six.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said with a grin. He picked up his tray and took it to the trash receptacle, dumping out the contents on his tray before setting it on top. Then he left the cafeteria and went back to work. Five hours later he was done, and he changed quickly and hailed a cab back to his new home. He’d only been living there three days but already it felt more like home than his own place with Amy had felt towards the end. He opened the door and got inside in a hurry to get out of the rain. “Sherlock? Are you home?” he called out.

“Yes, and you have company,” he said.

Rory froze. The only company he could possibly have was Amy, and that did not bode well. He walked up to the common room with a sense of trepidation, but relaxed as soon as he saw the head full of blonde frizzy curls. He should have known sooner or later his daughter would check up on him. “Hello, River.”

“Hello, Dad,” she said with a smile before coming up and giving him a hug that he readily returned. “I’m so sorry.”

“Wasn’t anything you could do,” he said with a shrug when they pulled apart. “Your mother and I just grew apart.”

“Yes, well, it still hurts to see it happen,” she replied.

“We don’t get back together, do we?” Rory asked. “And don’t say spoilers. I need to know.”

River was quiet for a moment, and he could see her weighing something in her head. Finally she shook her head. “No, I’m afraid not. Your marriage ends, and within a few years you’re each with other people. I will say this much, though. You do find happiness again.”

“Well, that’s good to know,” Rory said. “What brought on the visit?”

“I wanted to check on the both of you,” she said with a smile towards Sherlock. “I know you can take care of yourself, Dad, but I didn’t save Sherlock’s life so many times to not keep tabs on him. Besides, he’s a good friend now.”

“Will you be joining us for dinner?” Sherlock asked her.

“If you don’t mind, I’d love to,” she said. Then she turned back to Rory. “Are you going to cook?”

He nodded. “Beef stroganoff. But I need to have leftovers for Molly tomorrow.”

River smiled widely. “Who’s Molly?”

“A friend at work. Well, she was Sherlock’s friend first. Now she’s one of mine as well.”

“It’s good you have friends,” she said as Rory moved into the kitchen.

“How is your husband taking the news?” Rory asked.

Her smile dimmed slightly. “He desperately wants the two of you back together. I had to break my spoilers rule and tell him everything before he did something drastic.”

“Is Amy off with him?” he asked as he began pulling out cookware.

She nodded. “She’s come back on board as his companion. I don’t know for how long, but it seems to be a while.”

“Well, at least she’s happy,” Rory said quietly.

“She isn’t, not really. But whatever it is going on in her head, she’s not sharing with my husband or me, and we’re not pushing.”

“I just wish I knew why. And if you know, River, I’m not pushing for you to tell me. I want to hear it from her.”

“That day might be a long time in coming,” he said.

“I can wait.”

She paused. “She told me it’s all right for you to come back and get the rest of your things. She won’t be there, if that was why you haven’t been back.”

“You just left her, didn’t you?” he asked shrewdly, turning to look at her. She nodded. “I’ll go later tonight. Does she know I’m here?”

“Yes. She’s said she’ll leave you in peace. She’s going to travel with the Doctor for a while, while the divorce goes forward.”

He wanted to say something about how that was typical Amy, but he bit his tongue. His daughter was here, and he didn’t want to ruin the evening. He took a deep breath and counted until the urge to make a comment subsided. “I’ll have to see her eventually, I suppose.”

“Yes, but maybe when you do it will be easier.” She came over and put a hand on his arm. “I’ll come visit you more often, Dad. I promise.”

“I’d like that,” he said with a faint smile. She smiled back. “Enough about that. What else have you been up to? Keep me company while I cook.”

“All right,” she said with a smile before launching into a telling of her most recent adventures. He listened and talked with her, glad for the change in subject. It was going to be hard, but at least he knew his daughter didn’t hate him. That would help a lot in him getting over this and moving forward. He just hoped he had the strength to keep strong and carry on.


	4. Chapter 4

Molly came over the next night with a pound of very good coffee and a pie from a local bakery. Both she and Sherlock kept Rory company as he cooked, and the few times that the conversation between Molly and Sherlock drifted to things he shouldn't have known but did he elected to stay quiet. Sherlock kept up the ruse, explaining things to him. They had decided early on that one day they might tell Molly the entire truth, but that day was not today.

It had been a pleasant evening and Sherlock asked her to come again soon. It was obvious that the two of them were fairly close, and the way that she blushed slightly when he asked indicated her crush on the man was still present. Molly would do him a world of good, he thought to himself. If he ever fancied anyone he could do much much worse. Molly left about ten minutes after that, leaving Rory and Sherlock to clean up.

“That must have been hard, keeping quiet when you already knew everything we were talking about,” Sherlock said as he took some of the dishes to the sink.

“I didn't know everything, but I knew a lot,” Rory said. “At least you explained things to me so I could join in the conversation.”

“How much do you know about me, anyway?” Sherlock asked as he deposited the plates and silverware in the sink.

“Nothing from this part in your life. Mostly I know about all the things you did with John. About the only thing I know from now is that your time with John as a partner is over. River stopped her paper right after you returned.”

“I had hoped to learn if we reconciled,” Sherlock said with a sigh.

“Maybe you do,” Rory said with a slight shrug as he tackled the pans he had made the chicken and sides in. “But he doesn't help you anymore.”

“But you have volunteered, so there is that,” Sherlock pointed out before going back to the table for the glasses. “I am surprised I have not had a case in a few days, though. I suppose Lestrade had to learn to make do without my help. Perhaps I am simply not needed as much.”

“Well, they way River ended her paper it sounded like you were solving cases for a long time afterward,” Rory said. “So maybe this is just a slump.”

“Maybe. I enjoy what I do and I miss it.” He brought the glasses to him. “Do you enjoy being a nurse?”

Rory paused in what he was doing to think about it, and then nodded after a couple of minutes. “It was always a bit of normality within all the craziness. I mean, I've known I've wanted to do something with medicine since I was young. I've had a goal and I've worked towards it.”

“What about your wife?” he asked.

“She was happy as a model. She certainly enjoyed the time away from me.” He sighed. “That probably came out more bitterly than I would have liked.”

“I doubt I will ever understand the appeal of a romantic relationship,” he said. “Even with my personality changes I doubt that I will ever form an attachment like that. I believe I am considered asexual, or at least I think I am. Normally I don't hold to classifications such as that.”

“Molly fancies you, you know,” Rory said, going back to the dishes.

“I know she does,” he said with a slight sigh. “I do not know how to rid her of the crush without hurting her feelings. I need all the friends I can get and I don't want to push her away. And she's a good woman. She deserves someone who would make her happy, and I am not that person.”

“Talk to her. Be open and honest about it.” He was quiet for a minute. “And tactful. You used to not be tactful. That would push her away faster than gently letting her down.”

“I'm aware of that.” Sherlock got a towel and began to take the clean dishes out of the rack to dry them. “Were you surprised when River said you were happy in a different relationship?”

Rory nodded. “Yeah, I was. I mean, I've fancied Amy for years, ever since we were children. That's not counting the fact I watched over her for nearly two thousand years. You don't love someone that much and have the feelings go away overnight. At least, you don't if you're not my wife. I think there might be some real truth to the theory that I loved her more than she loved me.”

“It is entirely possible,” Sherlock said with a nod. “You were at least more devoted, at any rate.”

“Is there anyone you would wait two thousand years for?” Rory asked, turning to look at him.

“My friends. You included. You're all quite important to me.” Sherlock set down the pan and reached for another one. “Would you do it all again, if given the chance?”

Rory nodded. “The adventures were good, and I'll probably always love Amy at least a little for the rest of my life. I don't think I'd be the man I am today if I hadn't gone through all of it. Even the dying.”

Sherlock smiled a bit. “How many times have you died, exactly?”

Rory thought for a moment. “Once in a dream world, once by a Silurian, once when the other version of this world disappeared, and then Amy thought I had died when this malevolent alien kidnapped the TARDIS, and in the version where all of time happened at once I technically died when that version of things came to an end. Also, in the 1960s I faked my death. I mean, I was dead for all intents and purposes, but then I really wasn't dead. It's complicated.” He paused and then frowned. “I might be missing a few instances, though.”

“I was almost afraid I had died when I jumped off the roof,” Sherlock said. “I have never been in such excruciating pain before. But then I realized that because I felt such pain I was very much alive.”

“One day I want to know how you did that,” Rory said.

“One day I may tell you,” Sherlock said with a slight smile. “It's not all that complicated. There was planning involved, and quite a bit of luck came into play. All in all I could have had many more permanent injuries. As it stands now, all the bones I broke ache in very cold weather, to the point that it is sometimes hard to move. And as you may have noticed, I have a slight limp.”

“Would you do it again?”

“Absolutely,” Sherlock said without a moment’s hesitation. “I saved many lives doing it. Not just my friends, but people who had been or would be hurt by the criminal organization remaining operational.”

“Did you get everyone?” Rory asked.

“There's still one major player out there, as well as a few smaller ones. Mycroft is trying to round them all up. I'm not particularly worried about them. At least, not at the moment.”

“I'm surprised I haven't met your brother yet. River told me he met with John the very first day the two of you met.”

“The second day,” Sherlock corrected. “He cornered John. Whatever John did convinced him that John would be good for me. And he was.” Then he frowned. “Now that I think about it, I'm surprised Mycroft hasn't done the same with you. He might know the truth, though. River mentioned an organization called Torchwood that tracked aliens in Wales, and the man in charge had traveled with the Doctor. Also, UNIT is supposedly closely involved with him at times. If they know about you and your wife I have to assume Mycroft knows the complete truth.”

“Hopefully he doesn't know the truth about River,” Rory said quietly. “I don't want her pulled in for them to run experiments on her. She is my daughter, after all.”

“And the Doctor's wife,” Sherlock added. “They probably do not want to cross him.”

“True.” He sighed slightly. “I doubt I'll ever see him again. He whisked Amy away to travel with him, which more or less means he picked her in this whole mess. At least I get the feeling River doesn't abandon me, and I'm grateful for that.”

“But River said you are happy again. Take heart in that.”

“I do. I'd ask her for details but I know she won't give them. But I still want to know so much.” Rory finished the last glass and drained the soapy water from the sink before rinsing the glass. “I'll just have to let life unfold however it's supposed to, I guess. Live it without any spoilers.”

“I think that would be best for anyone,” Sherlock said. “That way there aren't influences that drastically affect the way things are supposed to go. Time is rather fluid, or I've gathered as much from River.”

“There are a few things that are fixed points in time and nothing can change them,” Rory said. “For example, the Doctor's death at Lake Silencio by River's hand. He just cheated there by hiding in a robot version of himself. But I gather whenever he meets his actual end he won't be able to cheat again. I hope that day is a long time in coming. Even if we never speak to each other again its comforting knowing he's looking out for all of us in the universe. There are many things that are out to harm us, and he stops them. It's what he's good at.”

“I feel safer he's out there as well,” Sherlock said with a nod. “Even though I've never met him River spoke very highly of him.”

“She would,” Rory said with a smile. “He's her husband. She's been in love with him since I knew her as Mels, I think, even if she did try and kill him in Nazi Germany.”

“Is it true you punched out Adolf Hitler?” Sherlock asked.

Rory nodded. “One fist across the face, and then he was out. I locked him in the cupboard immediately afterward. Of all the things I have done with the Doctor that was honestly one of the most satisfying. Especially since he was the one who shot my daughter and caused her to regenerate into River.”

“River took me on a few adventures,” Sherlock said. “Though nothing as exciting as that. Mostly to places to help me take down Moriarty's network. Though I did get to go to the moon. That was certainly an experience.”

“I never got to go there,” Rory mused. “Maybe one day I'll ask her to take me there. I don't think she'd mind.”

“I don't think she would either,” Sherlock said with a grin as he dried the last dish. “Did you want to travel back to your old home to get more of your belongings?”

“Probably wouldn't be a bad idea, just in case Amy drops by unexpectedly. It's a good thing I got the car back. With as dreary as the weather has been its nice not to have to rely on cabs.” Then he looked at Sherlock. “If I'm not using it and you need to borrow it that's fine.”

“I will probably stick to my cabs,” Sherlock said, shaking his head. “I would worry I might damage your car and it would do neither of us any good.”

“Well, the offer's still there.” Rory nodded towards the sitting room. “I have the boxes and packing tape left over from yesterday. Let's load them into the car and get going before it gets much later.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Sherlock said with a nod, setting the towel out to dry. “I'll grab the larger boxes.” 

“I'll go grab the keys,” Rory said. The two men went into the sitting room and Sherlock began grabbing the broken down boxes while Rory went to the key rack on the wall. It was hard to go get the things, Rory realized, but the sooner he got it all done the faster he could start to rebuild his life, and the better it would be.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day Sherlock called Rory at work and said he had talked to Molly about the crush and he was worried he had pushed her away. He had asked Rory if he could talk to her about things, and Rory agreed. Truth be told, even though Sherlock appeared to have changed greatly Rory wasn't really sure if he'd developed tact. He stopped by the morgue when he got off work, hoping she was still there. He walked in and didn't see her, so he moved over towards her office. He spotted her at her desk, writing out reports. He knocked on the office door lightly and she looked up, giving him a small smile. “Rory. Come in.”

He opened the door more and stepped inside. “Hey,” he said, feeling just a bit awkward. He ran a hand through his hair. “How are you doing?”

She chuckled slightly. “Sherlock sent you to check on me, didn't he?”

Rory relaxed and nodded. “Yeah. He was worried he might have pushed you away.”

“I will admit, I was a bit embarrassed and I wanted him out of the office as soon as possible. But I'm okay now, I am. I mean, if he was interested in someone else and I had to watch I don't know if we could continue to be good friends. But he's not interested in me and he's not interested in anyone else and he's fairly sure that it's never going to happen, so it's just something I have to accept. I'll probably still have a lingering crush for a bit, but at least now I know that it won't go anywhere. I can start to move on from it.” 

“That's good,” Rory said, giving her a grin. “It's good to know what's possible and what isn't.”

“Yeah, it is,” she said with a smile of her own. “Hey, are you busy tonight?”

He shook his head. “Not really. Why?”

“I was thinking we could go get dinner somewhere. We can invite Sherlock as well, show him I don't have any hard feelings. If you think he'd go for it, I mean. But I thought it might be fun to go out and be social in public.”

“Sure. Absolutely,” he said. “I'm off now, actually.”

“My shift is over in...” She checked her watch. “Five minutes. Want to call Sherlock while I finish up in here?”

He nodded. “Okay.” She gave him a smile and he gave one back before exiting her office. He pulled out his phone and pulled up Sherlock's phone number. Then he hit send and waited. It rang three times before someone answered. No one said anything, though. “Sherlock?” he asked uncertainly, tensing slightly. After the news there was still a major player in Moriarty's organization at large he had worried someone might have gone after Sherlock and gotten him.

“Sorry about that,” Sherlock said after a moment. “Lestrade was speaking.”

Rory relaxed. “I take it you have a case?”

“I do. It looks as though I'm going to be here a while.”

“Ah. Well, Molly had wanted to see if you wanted to join us for a bite to eat, but I suppose you're busy. I can get you something for later if you think you'll be out too late to order something in.”

“I would appreciate it.” He paused. “The fact that Molly wanted to dine with me tells me she's not angry at me. That's good.”

“Yeah. She's okay now,” Rory said. “I'll let her know you're busy.”

“Thank you.” There was another pause, this one lengthier. “I need to go. If it is not too late when I return, perhaps you can assist me in sorting some things out?”

“Sure. Could be interesting,” he replied. “I'll see you later.”

“See you then,” Sherlock said, then he hung up.

Rory stowed his phone and went back into the office. He waited until Molly stood up, turning the small lamp in her desk off. “Sherlock has a case. I'm going to pick him up something to eat when we're done.”

“He must be excited to have a case. It's been a week now,” she said with a smile.

“I don't know if I'd say excited, but he did seem pleased,” Rory said as she took off her lab coat.

“Depending on how complicated it is you might see him get excited,” she said with a chuckle. “The last one was fairly easy for him to solve. He was disappointed.” She reached over for her coat and slipped it on. “What are you in the mood for?”

Rory thought for a moment. “I ate way too much Chinese and Thai when I was in the hotel. Maybe something else?”

“There's an Italian place nearby, and a Mexican one. Greek as well, I think.”

“All of those sound good, actually,” he said with a grin.

“Well, whatever we don't hit tonight we can try later,” she said with an answering grin. “I'm kind of in the mood for a nice huge burrito myself.”

“Then Mexican it is,” Rory said with a nod. He moved out of her way and they made their way to the morgue entrance. “Other than the conversation with Sherlock, how has your day been?”

“Busy,” she said. “We had a few bodies come in that I was thinking might have been foul play, so I did the tests and sent the results off to Scotland Yard.”

“Wouldn't it have been obvious?” Rory asked.

“Not if it's poison,” she said, shaking her head. “They weren't undetectable poisons, so I know what it was that poisoned them and how much was given to them. That might be the case Sherlock's on, possibly. You can ask when he gets home.”

“I will.” The made their way to the lift. “I think what you do is really interesting,” he said after a moment.

“Really?” she asked with a smile. “Most people don't.”

“Well, I guess I'm not most people.”

“No, you really aren't.” She reached over and pushed the button to call the lift to them. “In a good way, I mean.”

He glanced over and saw she was blushing slightly. “Don't worry. I got what you mean,” he said with a reassuring smile. Her own smile brightened and the blush dimmed in response. “At least your day wasn't spent with an angry patient spewing curses at you.”

“That's part of the reason I'm glad I'm with all the dead bodies,” she said. “I don't think I could handle getting yelled at by anyone. Here I'm kind of queen of my domain. I don't have as many people to answer to.”

“There's days I wish I was in your position,” he said as the lift doors opened. They stepped inside and he pushed the button for the ground floor. “Don't get me wrong, most of the time I love my job, but today was not one of those days.”

“We should get drinks with our dinner,” she mused. “It would be a nice way to unwind.”

“Yeah, I could enjoy one or two,” he said with a nod. “Nothing with tequila, though. Tequila and I do not get along.”

She chuckled. “Then no margarita for you. But that sounds really good to me. Maybe a strawberry one.”

“You enjoy it,” he said. “If it's authentic Mexican food I'll probably have a Corona or something. Mexican beer isn't my favorite, but I'll drink it.”

“You've had it before?” she asked.

“My wife was a fan of this place near our home. I usually had a Corona or a Tecate when I was there. I prefer ale if I'm going to drink anything, but they're not bad.”

She frowned for a second. “Maybe we should eat somewhere else,” she said uncertainly.

“No, it's okay. Honest. There's going to be things that remind me of her all over London. I just have to get through it.” He gave her another reassuring smile as the doors opened on the ground floor. “I'll even order something different. A fish burrito sound really good. Or fish tacos.”

“What do you usually get?” she asked as they got out of the lift.

“Chicken enchiladas, or cheese if I don't want meat.”

“This place has really good chicken tamales,” she said. “I was going to get that.”

“Never had a tamale before,” he said after he thought a moment.

“I'll let you try some of mine. Like I said, they're really good.” She grinned at him. “One day I want to go to southern California. Go to some city with a beach and authentic Mexican food restaurants and other really neat things. Some place where it's warm in December. I always wanted to try my hand at surfing, at least once.”

“Even if the temperature is warm the water would be freezing,” Rory pointed out as they got to the main entrance.

“Well, then maybe I'll go in the summer.”

“It's about eight months till June. You've got time to plan something,” he replied.

“Yeah, but what's the point in traveling by myself?” she asked.

“If we're still friends in eight months I'll go with you,” he said. “We can go somewhere in California for a week and just explore. Maybe we can go to San Diego or something. I think that would have everything you would want.”

“Really?” she said, her eyes wide. She reached over and impulsively gave him a hug. He was surprised but he hugged her back after a moment. “That would be wonderful.”

“Hey, I'd like to escape too sometimes,” he said as she let go of him. “We'll plan on being friends for a very long while. Maybe we can take a couple trips together.”

“I would like that a lot,” she said with a wide smile.

Rory nodded over to the main entrance doors. “Come on. Mexican food awaits us,” he said with a grin of his own. She nodded and they headed outside, chatting as they walked. He was kind of surprised at himself for making the suggestion, but he didn't regret doing it in the slightest. He just hoped they were still friends in eight months. He really enjoyed having Molly as a friend, and this gave him something to look forward to after his divorce was finalized. He thought he could definitely use that.


	6. Chapter 6

Rory helped Sherlock with his new case after he had dinner with Molly and then again the next day after work, and the day after that was his day off so he accompanied Sherlock as they went to another crime scene. Molly had been right in that the case Sherlock was working on had to do with the poison victims who had come to her, and t reached a satisfying conclusion around five PM that evening. Rory had to admit, it was quite interesting assisting a consulting detective. He hoped he got to do it again soon.

Sherlock told Rory to go ahead and go home while he took care of the particulars with Lestrade, so Rory took a cab home, as they hadn't taken the convertible because it might have been too flashy. He let himself into the flat and made his way up to the sitting room and stopped in his tracks when he saw a man sitting in Sherlock's chair. After a moment he realized who it was. “You must be Mycroft,” he said quietly.

Mycroft inclined his head towards Rory. “Yes, I am.”

“We were wondering when you would show up,” he replied, putting his keys on the holder.

“You appear to be taking this well,” Mycroft murmured. “Of course, as the Lone Centurion I would expect nothing less.”

Rory stilled slightly. “So. You know the truth.”

“As I know that your daughter is quite acquainted with my brother,” he replied, reaching for the cup of tea next to him. “Do not worry about her. We are not going to capture her to experiment on her. She has already willingly been studied by UNIT. Her husband didn't want to allow it at first, but she insisted.”

“She didn't tell me that,” he said as he turned to face Mycroft.

Mycroft nodded to the chair next to him, and Rory saw there was a cup and a pot on the table next to it. Rory sat down and Mycroft poured him a cup. “She keeps many secrets.”

“It's what she gets for traveling in reverse order of the Doctor,” he said, picking up his cup when Mycroft was done.

“Are you planning on telling Miss Hooper?” Mycroft asked.

“Maybe,” he said.

“When you do, I have files on you and those you know who are involved with the Doctor, if you would like to show them to her. As further proof, in case she is disinclined to believe you.”

“Thank you,” Rory said before taking a sip of his tea. “Why would you do that, though?”

“Miss Hooper is a good friend of Sherlock's. Without her he never would have been able to fake his death. She helped keep up the charade, far better than either Sherlock or I could have hoped. I do not wish to see her friendship with him dissolve because he is keeping a secret from her, nor do I want her to think he is mentally unbalanced.” He had some more of his tea. “Sherlock might think I do not care about him, but that is not the case. He is my brother. I want him to live the best life he can.”

“It's good you're looking out for him, I suppose.”

Mycroft looked at him intently, setting his cup down. “When I had this meeting with John Watson I offered him money to spy on Sherlock. Should I attempt to do the same for you?”

“I wouldn't bother. I'll pass along how he's doing if I think something is wrong, or if you ask because you're concerned, but I'm not going to be your paid informant.” Rory set his cup of tea down. “I don't spy on my friends.”

“That is what I wanted to hear,” Mycroft said with a nod. “I think Sherlock will be in good hands with you around.”

“Do you ever think John will speak to him again?” Rory asked.

“Perhaps. He is still incredibly hurt by the whole thing. It was...very hard on him.” Mycroft picked up his cup again and took another sip. “There were times we thought he would sink into such a depressive state that he would not emerge. But he found a woman who helped him greatly. Those of us who knew him breathed a sigh of relief when he began taking an interest in things again.”

“Are you worried about Sherlock now?” Rory asked

“Surprisingly, no,” he replied. “In the short time you have been in his life I have seen great improvement in his demeanor. I think he is dwelling less on the things he had to do to eradicate Moriarty's network.”

“But it's not all gone,” Rory said, looking at Mycroft intently. “There's someone major still running around.”

Mycroft nodded. “Sebastian Moran. He was Moriarty's right hand man, and he is a master assassin in his own right. He is dangerous, but no matter who Sherlock talked to or what resources I was able to exploit we could not find him. He is too well hidden. After a time we deemed it safe enough for Sherlock to return and resume his old life.”

“Do you think he will come after Sherlock?”

Mycroft had more of his tea. “I am sure of it,” he said after a few seconds. “But we are taking precautions.”

“I just hope they're good enough,” Rory said quietly.

“As do I.” Mycroft set his cup down and stood. “I think you will be a good friend to Sherlock. At least a good friend as John was. I think he needed John before, and I think he will need you in a different way, as he is a different man now. I have faith you will not let him down.” He reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out a card, handing it to Rory. “In case you need to contact me. I would suggest that you call me before you tell Miss Hooper the truth, so you have the files on hand.”

Rory took the card with a nod. “Thank you.”

“Thank you, Rory,” Mycroft said. He reached over for the umbrella that was leaning against the chair he had been sitting in, and then he left. Rory looked at the card for a moment, then went back to the tea and had another cup before beginning to make dinner.

Sherlock came home an hour later, and Rory could see him get a faint smile when he smelled the food. “Something smells very nice,” he said, taking off his scarf and coat.

“I thought you might appreciate something warm after being in that ghastly weather. It will be done in about twenty minutes.”

Sherlock went over to his chair and sat down. Then he glanced at the table and saw Mycroft's card. He picked it up, fingering it. “Mycroft paid you a visit, I see,” he said quietly.

“We've come to an understanding,” Rory said, coming into the sitting room and sitting next to Sherlock. “He knows the truth. Not just about me, but about River as well. Apparently she let herself be studied by UNIT. She didn't tell me that.”

“It's good that you don't have to hide it from him” Sherlock said with a slight nod.

“Well, when I decide to tell Molly the truth he said he'll give me the files on me so she'll have an easier time believing me.” Rory leaned back in his seat. “She needs to know eventually. I don't like lying to her, or being evasive.”

“But now is too soon,” Sherlock said.

“Yeah, I know,” he replied with a defeated sigh. “But eventually I want to come clean.”

“I want to as well. I do not like keeping the secret any more than you do.” Sherlock leaned forward, setting his elbows on his thighs. “The question is, how long should we wait?”

“Maybe a few months?” Rory suggested. 'We'll pick a time when she's more amenable to it.”

“I hope that time comes soon,” Sherlock murmured.

“Yeah, me too.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Six Months Later**

As time went on Rory's life settled into something good. The divorce moved forward, and by the time he had to see Amy face to face a lot of the hurt and anger was gone. He got his answers to why she filed for divorce, and he appreciated it. She had loved him but she didn't love him as much towards the end, and she wanted to end it all rather than hurt him. It had been a rather easy divorce and they both felt as though a weight had been lifted. She was still traveling with the Doctor when it was finalized but she decided to stay in London long enough to take care of the division of property. They sold the house and most of the belongings that they didn't want. He was allowed to keep the car since he actually used it. Then it was all over and he was single again.

He had started to spend more time helping Sherlock on cases and found he had a real aptitude for it. Sherlock greatly appreciated the help and made it a point to tell Rory as much when he made a contribution to the case. A few times his attention to a detail Sherlock had initially dismissed had solved the case. He found himself taking less shifts at the hospital and started concentrating on the cases more. If he didn't know better he could have sworn he was going to switch careers in a short time.

He also spent a lot more time with Molly. She was really special to him, he realized. She was a good friend, a really good friend and a good woman. She was warm and caring, kind and open. She was very different from Amy; while Amy was a good woman at heart she had a tendency to be selfish, but Molly didn't do that. He didn't know when he started to entertain thoughts of maybe having a deeper relationship with Molly, but they were there. He buried them most of the time because he was still keeping a secret from her, and he didn't want her to hate him for it if they got into a relationship and he still hadn't told her.

Almost six months to the day after he arrived in Sherlock's home he came home with Molly and all his hackles went up. The front door looked like it had been kicked in and was slightly ajar. He knew people had broken into the home before; Mrs. Hudson had told him what had happened while Sherlock was gone, and Sherlock had told him about the Middle Eastern man and the Americans. But this just felt different. He looked at Molly and put his hands on her shoulders. “Wait here,” he said.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “If anyone is still around and I'm out here I'm a sitting duck.”

He thought about it a moment. She was right. She was safer if she was near him. Once he began helping on cases more Rory had gone through all the documentation and training he needed to carry a gun. He usually didn't take it into work, leaving it in his car. He was just thankful he had his car key on the same key ring as his house keys. He went to his car and opened it, unlocking his glove compartment and reaching for the gun. He checked it quickly then went back to Molly. “Stay close to me.”

She nodded and followed him into the house. As soon as they got to the sitting room it was clear there had been a struggle as the entire room was in a shambles. Rory kept the gun in front of him, checking each of the rooms. Then they left the sitting room and went upstairs, checking those rooms. He glanced briefly into his own room but it appeared nothing was disturbed, though it was dark so he did not get a good look. Satisfied no one was there they went back to Mrs. Hudson's part of the house. Molly spotted her first, on the floor by her table. “Rory!” she called over. When Rory got to them she was checking her pulse. “She has a pulse, but it's thready and weak.”

“Call for an ambulance,” he said. “I'm going to go back to the sitting room.”

She nodded and pulled out her phone. He went back to the sitting room and looked around. It took him a moment, but then he saw the note where the Cluedo board had been on the wall. He pulled the dagger out of the wall and looked at the note, reading it. Apparently taking Sherlock hadn't been enough. The man who took him had his predecessor's penchant for wanting to play games. He folded up the note and stuck it in his jacket pocket and went back to Molly. He helped her with Mrs. Hudson until emergency personnel came, and when they were done and Mrs. Hudson was on her way to the hospital Molly looked at him. “What's going on?” she asked Rory quietly.

Rory pulled the note out of his pocket. “The man in Moriarty's organization that was left wants us to bargain for Sherlock's life. I'm fairly sure Mycroft was supposed to get this note, not me.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I'm going to call Mycroft and I'm going to get Sherlock back,” he said.

“You're not going to give him the information, are you?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“No.” He looked at her. He had wanted it all to come out in a different way, but she needed to know the truth. On the off chance he didn't make it out of this alive, he didn't want her to not know. “I can be a very dangerous man when I want to be,” he said slowly. “I'm going to be a danger to the man who took Sherlock.”

“There's this whole side of your life you don't talk about,” she said as she looked at him intently. “And you seem so much older than you really are. But I know you weren't a soldier somewhere, and I know...” She trailed off. “Whatever happened to you, I'm willing to listen. To try and believe you.” She reached over and touched his face gently. “Now probably isn't the best time, but when this is all over we should talk. About us. Because I think I want more than a friendship with you. If you want the same, I mean. If you look at me as more than a friend.”

“You don't know how much I wanted to hear that,” he murmured. He moved closer to her. “I'm going to make the man who took Sherlock regret it, all right? I have vastly more experience in fighting than he does. I'll make sure we both come back in one piece. And then we can talk. You can trust me about that.”

“I trust you. I have since I started being your friend.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. He kissed her back after a moment, and if things hadn't been so urgent he would have shown her exactly how much he appreciated this turn of events. The kiss stayed soft, and when she pulled away she gave him a small smile, though it was tinged with sadness. “For luck.”

He looked at her, and then decided a few more minutes wouldn't be a waste. He pulled her against him and kissed her harder, and he could feel her melt against him as she kissed him back. Not that the first kiss had been bad, but if she was going to give him a kiss for luck he liked this one so much more. He pulled away after a moment, watching her try and catch her breath. “Just--”

She cut him off by putting a finger on his lips, and when he closed his mouth she framed his face in her hands. “Don't you dare think that. You're going to get Sherlock back and both of you are going to be safe and then we can talk. All right?”

“All right,” he said with a nod. She hugged him tightly for a moment. “Go to Scotland Yard. Tell Greg that something happened to Sherlock and it's not safe for you to be alone. Tell him his brother is handling it. That should be enough to keep him from trying to help. Promise me you'll do that, all right?”

“I promise.” She pulled away from him. “I'll go right now.”

“I'll go out with you. Just give me a few moments to get the other gun and a few other things.” She nodded and they went back to the sitting room. Rory knew where Sherlock kept the other gun and his extra bullets as well as his throwing knives, and he got all of it plus Sherlock's phone, which had been left on the floor. It must have fallen out of his pocket during the struggle. Then he walked Molly back outside and waited for her to get into the cab. He gave the driver the address to Scotland Yard, and once the cab was off he got into his own car and pulled up Mycroft's number. “Moran got him,” he said as soon as he heard the click.

“I know,” Mycroft said quietly. “Our precautions were not enough.”

“I'm going to get him back. I have a note that was left for you. He wants all the other people in the organization who aren't already dead out of jail, and he wants information.”

“He is not getting either,” Mycroft said with the utmost certainty.

“Trust me, I understand. I can get Sherlock back but I need your help.”

“Anything.”

Rory gave Mycroft the address where the meeting was supposed to take place. “Tell me what to expect when I get there, then you go and meet with Moran like he wants. He wants you there in three hours.”

“You're going to take care of them all by yourself?”

“I'm going to get a little help,” Rory said. 

“Very well. I will call you back with details of who is there and what to expect.” Mycroft paused. “Please make sure you get my brother out safely.”

“I will.” Rory hung up and pulled out Sherlock's phone. While he could probably do it all by himself he knew if he had backup it would be easier. Two men taking down however many people were going to be there would lead to a better chance of success. He just hope that his help agreed.


	8. Chapter 8

John Watson was not at all how Rory expected him to be. He had heard stories from Sherlock and Molly, and he had gotten the impression that even though John had been a soldier he was generally a good man. And he was a good man; he had agreed to help Rory for Sherlock's sake without knowing the first thing about Rory. But there was something in him that reminded Rory much of himself. He had seen things, things he tried to keep locked away in a dark vault in the back of his mind. And today he was letting those things come to the forefront, just as Rory was remembering a whole other life of being a trained soldier and two thousand years of being a Roman centurion. He had trained for a long time to keep Amy safe, way back when. Now was the time to keep someone else safe.

Mycroft had not been surprised to see John, which meant he probably hadn't been surprised that Rory had called him. He had thought Mycroft might think he'd call the Doctor, or any one of his cohorts who had helped in other times. But this was the type of thing the Doctor disapproved of. People were going to die tonight at Rory and John's hands, and that was the type of thing he didn't want to get the Doctor involved in. There had been one unexpected addition to the people taking the building by force, though. Before Rory had picked John up River popped in beside him. He had tried his absolute best to talk her out of helping but she wouldn't hear of it. She simply unlocked the passenger side of his car, sat in the seat and buckled herself in. He knew he should worry, as any good father would, but this was a woman that had made a Dalek beg for mercy. If anyone could take care of themselves tonight she was among that list.

Mycroft had given both Rory and John two guns with silencers to help keep the noise to a minimum, and River had her laser gun which John had looked at questioningly. River had patted his cheek and said she'd explain later, and Rory had been slightly amused by the annoyed look that briefly crossed John's face. Between them they figured they could take out the armed men Moran had scattered throughout the building. They had met with Mycroft an hour before the meeting, going over blueprints of the building. Barring any modifications that had been made since it was built, they had a very clear way to get in and take out most of the men before Mycroft arrived at the meeting place. It was a matter of timing now.

River looked at her father as they waited. John had gone to the other entrance, where there were less armed men. Rory and River were taking out most of them on their way to Sherlock. “So. He got himself into another scrape that I have to get him out of,” River said quietly.

“He's going to hate owing you another favor,” Rory said, checking his watch.

“Please. He loves me like a sister.”

“A bratty younger sister, maybe,” he replied with a slight smile.

River punched his arm lightly. “That's a lie, Dad.”

“Yeah, it is. He looks at you like family, though. That's the honest truth. Maybe like an overprotective older sister, sort of like Mycroft. Only nicer.”

She chuckled slightly. “I like that better.” She checked her gun. “We save him, you know. We save him and none of us die. I don't know the particulars, but I know all five of us get out of here.”

He thought about Molly, about how she was probably worried sick. “Good.”

“I grow very fond of Molly, you know,” she said quietly. “She's a good stepmother.” He looked at her sharply. “The reason I didn't write past Sherlock's fall in that paper was then I would be writing about you and your adventures with him. All of your history is there for anyone to read. I know the day you rescue him from Moran is the day your relationship with Molly changes. Obviously she takes it well, if she ends up being my stepmother, but I know all about your life with her. It's a long and happy one, and that's all I'm saying about it.”

He was quiet for a moment, then reached over and gave his daughter a hug. “Thank you.”

She hugged him back. “You're welcome, Dad.” She let go and looked at him. “Is it time yet?”

He glanced at his watch and nodded. “Yeah, it's time.” He got his gun ready. “Let's go.” The two of them opened the door to the little used exit. It squeaked slightly, and both of them stilled. Neither of them moved for a moment, but it looked as though no one heard it. They made their way in, and then they encountered their first armed man. Rory shot him in the head and as another came behind him River got him with her gun. Mycroft had estimated there were ten people in their general area and five that John would be dealing with, not counting the three men keeping guard on Sherlock. Rory and River were on their way to get Sherlock before Rory went to help John keep Mycroft safe and take Moran out.

As they made their way to the room where Mycroft said Sherlock was being held they took out each of the armed men, either by gun or laser. It took them ten minutes to get there, and when River opened the door Rory took out two of the armed men. The third fumbled with his gun and River fired her laser gun at him, hitting him in the chest. He fell down. Sherlock was tied to a chair, his head hanging down and his back to the door. River and Rory went to him and River gasped when she saw him. “They did a number on him,” she said, her eyes wide.

Rory felt for a pulse and found one, though it was weak. “He's hurt worse than I expected,” Rory said. He pulled out one of the throwing knives, then took out the small med kit he carried with him at all times. “Cut him free and get him on the ground, then use the smelling salts to wake him up. They were from the Doctor so they should work fairly quickly. We need him to be conscious because I think the injuries are quite serious.”

“Right,” River said with a nod. She took the knife and the kit, then handed Rory the laser gun. He raised an eyebrow. “If you're shooting from a distance you have a better chance of hitting your target with this.”

Rory nodded and took the laser. When she was done cutting Sherlock free and had him on the ground he set the still fully loaded second gun on the chair. “In case someone tries to take him.”

“All right.” She nodded towards the door. “Go keep Mycroft safe.” Then she went back to the med kit and began to search for the smelling salts.

Rory left the room and went to the main overhead walkway where he would have the best vantage point. He didn't see anyone on it, for which he was grateful. It was dark up there, and Rory was glad he was wearing dark clothes. He looked down below and saw John coming to the side. Mycroft was not there yet. As far as he could tell none of Moran's men had had radios, so there was no way Moran would know what happened to them unless he sent someone to check personally. Now it was just a matter of waiting for Mycroft.

Then the plan hit an unexpected snag. As Mycroft approached, five more men entered the room from a back area they hadn't expected. Now there was eight men in the room, and even though he knew that everyone who mattered got out alive it could get dicey. There could be injuries that River didn't know about. He moved over slightly and got ready. Mycroft began to talk, as did Moran, but Rory was too far above to hear what they were saying. He was just waiting for Mycroft's signal, which was him tapping the tip of his umbrella on the floor twice. Then the men would be in a position where John and he could take them out. Rory waited as patiently as he could.

Moran suddenly whipped out a gun and pointed it at Mycroft. Mycroft tapped his umbrella twice in response. Both Rory and John began firing as the men tried to orient themselves with where the fire was coming. Mycroft moved quickly for cover as Moran dashed towards the other set of stairs that would lead him to this walkway. Rory aimed for two more men, leaving John with only three to take care of, then waited for Moran to get on the walkway. Moran didn't notice him until he was halfway to Rory. Then he trained his gun on Rory. “You're the new assistant,” Moran said contemptuously.

“Yes, I am,” Rory said, keeping the laser trained on him. He didn't need Moran to get any closer to take him out. “And you picked a very dangerous man to cross.”

“You're just a nurse,” Moran scoffed, and he held the gun up and pointed it at Rory. Moran squeezed off a shot at the same time he pulled the trigger of the laser gun. The bullet impacted with his shoulder and he spun slightly, but he had hit Moran in the chest. Moran had been slightly to the side, and instead of falling backward he fell off the walkway to the ground below with a sickening thud. Rory clutched his shoulder and walked over to where Moran had fallen, looking down.

Mycroft was standing nearby, and John joined him after a moment. They both looked up. “Are you injured?” John called up.

“Got hit in the shoulder,” Rory said.

“I'll come up and take a look at you,” john said.

“No. You need to take care of Sherlock first. He's badly injured.” He could see both their eyes widen, and they bolted towards the stairs Moran had come up. Rory waited for them to join him and then they hurried to the room that River was in. There was a dead man in the doorway, and Rory looked over at her. “We were wrong?” he asked his daughter.

“He tried to come get Sherlock,” River said as he stepped over the body, John right behind him. “Sherlock is awake but his injuries are extensive. It's a good thing we have a doctor here.” Then she got a closer look at Rory and her eyes widened. “You got shot.”

“It's fine,” he said, even though it hurt like hell.

“You. Sit. Now,” River said, standing up and going to her father. She guided him to the chair just as John got to Sherlock.

“John?” Sherlock asked weakly as he looked up.

John nodded. “Yeah, it's me,” he said quietly. He began looking Sherlock over, feeling Sherlock as well. Sherlock groaned in pain at almost every touch. “You have quite a few broken bones. What did they do to you?”

“A few lead pipes,” Sherlock said. He shut his eyes. “At least if I'm going to die I'm surrounded by my three best friends.”

“You're not going to die, Sherlock,” River said, stopping in the act of fussing over her father to roll her eyes. “I already told you that.”

“I certainly feel like I'm going to die.”

“Well, you're not,” John said with an amused smile. “You're going to be in the hospital for a long time, probably in traction, but you'll live.” He looked over at Mycroft. “Have you called someone?”

“They will be here shortly,” Mycroft said with a nod.

“John,” Sherlock said.

John turned back to him. “Yeah?”

“Thank you. For rescuing me.” Sherlock opened his eyes again and turned his head. “I didn't think you cared.”

“Well, your new flatmate is quite persuasive,” John said. “And when he told me you were in danger...I couldn't just leave you to that. It wouldn't have been right, after everything you've done for me.”

“So I'm forgiven?” Sherlock asked.

“Yeah, you're forgiven,” John said with a nod. “I'm going to go look at Rory's shoulder for a second, all right?” Sherlock nodded slightly and John got up from his kneeling position and went to Rory. “You did well,” he said quietly, peeling Rory's jacket away from the wound.

“Well, I needed to make sure Sherlock was safe,” he said with a slight shrug, which he immediately regretted as he hissed in pain.

John pulled a pocket torch out from his jacket pocket and shined it on the wound. “The bullet's still in your shoulder. They'll have to dig it out and it's going to be a while till you can really use it, plus a lot of physical therapy before you're cleared for work again.”

“Just great,” Rory said sourly.

“You've got to admit, it will be nice to get away from cranky patients for a bit,” John said with an amused smile. “And there's plenty of other nurses at St. Bart's to cover the slack.”

“How did you know I was a nurse?” Rory asked, surprised.

“I may not have been speaking to Sherlock, but that doesn't mean I trusted you right off the bat. I wanted to look out for him, I suppose. So I researched you. That's why I agreed so quickly when you called.” He let the jacket fall back. “You have a very spotty history. One day I might want to know more about it.”

“One day I'll tell you, maybe,” Rory said with a grin. If he was going to tell Molly he might as well tell John too. After all, there were few things that could forge a bond as quickly as being in a firefight with someone and having to keep each other alive. And it looked like John was going to be involved in Sherlock's life again, which could only mean they were going to get a chance to really get to know each other. As the sound of sirens could dimly be heard in the distance Rory looked at River, who nodded. It appeared as though a few other people were going to be privy to their family secrets after all, and he was totally okay with that.


	9. Chapter 9

Later that evening, after Rory had gotten checked over and he had made sure Sherlock was situated in the hospital and feeling well enough, he went to Scotland Yard to retrieve Molly. Even though it was late and the building was nearly empty Lestrade was still there, waiting in his office with Molly. When he opened the door both of them turned to look. Molly's eyes went wide with shock, as did Lestrade's. “I take it there was a gunfight?” Lestrade asked, leaning forward.

Rory nodded. “I was the only injury. Well, other than the number the kidnappers did on Sherlock.”

“And the countless dead men that his brother is going to sweep under the rug,” Lestrade said as Molly got up to Rory and gave him a careful hug.

“Over twenty but less than thirty,” Rory said. “But the threat is taken care of. Moriarty's network shouldn't trouble any of us anymore. We got the most important one.”

“I'm assuming it's safe for Molly to leave now?”

Rory nodded. “Yeah, it's safe.”

“Well, good. I don't want anyone else pulling stunts like that in this city that involve Sherlock,” he replied. “The St. Bart's incident was bad enough.”

“You know, I never did understand why you took him back so easily,” Rory said to Lestrade. “There's still a lot of people who think he's a fraud, but you and everyone here don't seem to have a problem with him.”

“That's because we're good policemen,” Lestrade said with a grin. “Something was fishy with the whole thing, so I looked into it, as did a few other people close to me. We figured out he faked his death and Moriarty was behind everything about nine months into Sherlock's disappearing act. We just held onto all that information until he returned. There's always going to be people who doubt him, even a few here in the Yard, but the evidence is solid and you can't dispute it.” He stood up. “I still need to go take care of a few things, and I need coffee for it. But I can walk you two out if you want.”

Molly pulled away from him as Rory shook his head. “Go ahead and get your coffee. We can get out of here on our own,” she said with a smile. She went over to Lestrade and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for keeping me safe.”

Lestrade grinned at her. “Any time, Molly.”

She went back to Rory and the two of them made their way to the lift. “Have you eaten yet?”

“Just a bit of hospital food. They made me eat something before they gave me the pain pill.”

“Something strong?” she asked. He nodded. “I'm surprised you're not dead on your feet.”

“Too much adrenaline coursing through my veins,” he said with a slight smile. “And besides, I thought we could talk.”

She nodded. “Are you safe to drive?” she asked.

“Mycroft had me driven here. The car is still downstairs. He's having someone drive my car back to the flat later.”

“Good.” She pushed the button at the lift, but the doors opened immediately, They got in and she pressed the button for the ground floor. “I've been trying to steel myself for anything, even the most outlandish things.”

“Such as?” he asked as the doors closed.

“I don't know. You were a spy, you were in a black ops group.” She gave him a smile. “Even as outlandish as you traveled through time.”

“Space, too,” he said quietly.

Her eyes widened. “Seriously? You actually _did_ travel through time?”

“And space. I traveled through space, too.” He looked at her closely. She looked away from him, staring at a spot on the elevator wall. “Molly?” he asked after a few minutes.

“I'm processing it,” she said, slightly stunned. The doors opened and she didn't move, so Rory used his good hand to guide her out of the lift and out the doors to the waiting car. She seemed to snap out of it when he opened the door to the car and she slipped in. “How?” she asked.

He glanced at the driver. “This might be a conversation best had when we're alone,” he murmured.

“Oh. Right. Sorry,” she said. She had been sitting on the side with his good hand, and after a moment she reached over and squeezed it gently. “You _are_ going to tell me, right?”

He nodded. “I'll tell you the whole unvarnished truth as soon as we get somewhere more private. I promise.”

“Okay.” Molly asked about what had happened that evening, and Rory decided that was a safe enough conversation to have at that point. She had seemed happy when he told her Sherlock and John had reconciled, and shocked when he told her the extent of Sherlock's injuries. When the car pulled up to 221B Baker Street they got out. Rory fumbled with the keys slightly and in the end Molly took them and opened the door for them. They made their way up to the sitting room. It was still a disaster, and she looked at him. “Think they destroyed your room?”

“God, I hope not. I didn't take a very close look earlier,” he said. Then he noticed something that hadn't been there before on the table. It was a file. He pointed to it and Molly looked over there. “Grab that file, though. Mycroft had that sent over for me.”

Molly gave him a quizzical look but went over and picked up the file. “It has your name on it,” she said.

“That's the file the government has on me,” he said. “It explains all about my travels with the Doctor.” He nodded toward the stairs. “Come on. Let's find out if my bedroom is a shambles. Then we can talk.”

“All right.”

The two of them went back to the stairs and made their way up to Rory's room. He opened the door and was grateful to find his room exactly as he had left it that morning. It seemed as though it had been a really long time since he had seen his bed. He sat down on it and Molly sat next to him. “So, about twenty-five years ago, an alien crash-landed on my ex-wife's shed in her backyard,” he said as Molly opened the file and began flipping through it. “That was the Doctor. He's a decent bloke, I suppose, even if it can be dangerous to travel with him. Anyway, he was there, and then he promised her he would come back and she could travel with him.”

“How old was she?” Molly asked.

“Seven. He disappeared, and then showed back up again twelve years later. That's when I met him. There was an alien impersonating coma patients that I was in charge of, and I was the only one who noticed. It was named Prisoner Zero. The Doctor solved the problem and then disappeared again. In the two years he was gone Amy and I got serious and she agreed to marry me. The night before our wedding, though, she went to travel with him. She tried to kiss him after a scare with the Weeping Angels--”

“What are those?” Molly asked, interrupting.

“I haven't seen them, but they look like angel statues. They're very bad news. Amy had an encounter where one of them got in her head.”

“Oh, that's horrible,” Molly said, her eyes wide.

Rory nodded. “Anyway, he took her back home and she tried to seduce him, and then he got me. I went on a few adventures with him. And then I died.” He paused. “Well, technically I died twice, but the first time was in a dream world. It counts, but it doesn't.”

“But if you died, how are you here now?” she asked, and he could hear confusion in her voice. He saw she had stopped flipping through the file at this point.

“Well, I was brought back as a Nestine duplicate. Basically I was a plastic version of myself, only I was a Roman centurion that time. I helped save the Doctor when a bunch of aliens were laying a trap for him. Well, I did but I didn't. The trap got sprung and I almost killed Amy, but thanks to wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff I also saved the Doctor.” He could see Molly smile slightly at the funny words. “Anyway, I waited by the Pandorica for her to wake up for nearly two thousand years.” He saw her start to open her mouth to ask a question. “The Pandorica is the best prison in the world. It was built to hold the biggest threat in the universe, which most of the universe thought was the Doctor. They were wrong, though. His spaceship blew up and wiped out all the stars and planets in every galaxy. Earth was all that was left.”

“But how are we all here?”

“He rebooted the universe,” Rory said. “He flew the Pandorica into his exploding spaceship.” He paused for a moment. “When the TARDIS, his spaceship, blew up, it exploded in every moment in time. It was exploding from the start of time to the end of time. When he flew the Pandorica into it he was able to reboot it all, but it was better. See, there had been a crack in Amy's wall when she was a girl. There were cracks all over the universe. I got taken by a crack. And once the crack got you, your entire existence was erased. No one remembered you. Now, before the Doctor met her, Amy's parents touched the crack. They never existed. The Doctor managed to bring them back, but we all forgot about the Doctor.”

“So your ex-wife forgot about them? And you?” Rory nodded. “That's horrible.”

“Well, everyone came back, even the other people who had been taken by the cracks in the universe. The day Amy and I got married, she willed the Doctor back into existence. And then we traveled with him for our honeymoon.” He paused again. He didn't really want to talk about Demon's Run. Still, he had promised her the unvarnished truth, and he was going to give it to her. “While we were traveling, while we were in the TARDIS, Amy got pregnant. And then she got kidnapped and replaced with a flesh duplicate. A doppelganger, I guess is a better term. We all traveled together for a long time and we didn't know.”

“That's horrible too,” she said, reaching over for his hand. “What happened to your child?”

“Amy gave birth to our daughter Melody on an asteroid called Demon's Run. We went to go rescue her, the Doctor and I and some of his friends. We thought we had gotten her and Melody, but Melody had been replaced with a flesh duplicate.” Molly squeezed his hand tightly at that point. “She was raised away from us to be a weapon. See, because she was conceived while the TARDIS was in flight she was part Time Lord. That's the race that the Doctor is. His enemies wanted her to kill him. And she almost did, but then she saved him.”

“How?”

“She can regenerate. Or she could, at any rate. I think she gave all her regenerations to the Doctor to save him. But basically when she was injured bad enough she could change. At some point she changed into a girl that Amy and I grew up with named Melody. We called her Mels. She was our best mate. If it hadn't been for her I don't think Amy and I would have gotten together.”

“So your daughter became your best friend to make sure the two of you got together to conceive her?” Molly asked. Rory nodded. “That's confusing.”

“Wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff,” he said with a slight grin, and he got one in return. “We went to Nazi Germany because Mels wanted to kill Hitler, then Hitler shot _her_ and she regenerated into the woman we all knew as River Song.”

“Wait a second. Hitler? Like, _Adolf_ Hitler?” she asked, her jaw dropping slightly.

Rory nodded. “I punched him across the face and knocked him out, and then I locked him in the cupboard.”

“I would have loved to have seen that.”

“I think most of the world would have,” Rory said with an amused grin. “Anyway, my daughter poisoned the Doctor, and then she was almost killed, and then she was let go and she saved the Doctor. Amy and I traveled with him some more until we got to the prison that fed on faith. It was a hotel, and everyone had a room with their greatest fear. I don't have faith like the others did, though, so all I saw were exits.”

“You don't have faith?” Molly asked, surprised.

“Not on the same level most people do. I don't believe in any higher power, I don't put specific people up on pedestals to worship them...I have faith in people, but apparently I didn't have enough faith for the prison to give me a room and keep me there. But my wife had that kind of unwavering faith in the Doctor, and he had to break it for all of us to get out. And then he brought us back here to London.”

“And that's the last you saw of him?” she asked.

He shook his head again. “Sort of. See, River actually _did_ kill the Doctor at one point. He was supposed to meet his death at her hands at Lake Silencio in Utah.”

“You told me when we first started talking you had been to Utah!” she exclaimed as realization dawned on her. “You watched him die?”

“I did. But it wasn't really him. He was in this machine known as the Tesselecta. He hid in it and River killed the machine, but everyone thought it was the Doctor. But the first time it happened, she didn't kill him, so all of time started happening at once. It was destroying the universe. River and Amy found a way to try and find the Doctor and to let other aliens species know the Doctor was dying and they needed help.”

“You didn't help them?”

“I didn't know I was with Amy as her husband, or that River was my daughter. I was just a common soldier in that universe. But we found the woman who had kidnapped my daughter, and the aliens who she controlled, but things went wrong. Everyone in the room died except the four of us.” He was quiet for a moment as he shut his eyes. He didn't like thinking about that day, just like he didn't like thinking about Demon's Run. Then he opened them again. “Anyway, the only way for time to restart properly was for the Doctor and River to touch. River made him marry her and he told her the secret about the Tesselecta. Then they kissed and time got back to normal. That was the last time I saw him.”

“Where is he now?” Molly asked.

“Traveling through time and space with Amy,” he said. “She went back on board with him after she filed for divorce, then left long enough to take care of dividing up our property, and then she went back.”

“And your daughter?”

“I just saw her tonight. She helped John and I rescue Sherlock.”

“Why?” she asked curiously.

“She's one of Sherlock's friends.” He watched recognition dawn on her face. “Yes, she's the mutual friend Sherlock was helping by letting me move in with him. More like friend of his, daughter of mine, but you didn't know the truth at the time.”

She was silent for a few minutes, long enough that he began to worry. “That's...a lot to take in,” she said quietly.

“I hope I broke it to you gently enough,” he said, yawning slightly.

“You did your best,” she said. “I need to think about it, and maybe read this file all the way through, but...I believe you. I really don't think you would lie to me about any of it.”

“I promised you the truth.”

“I know.” She let go of his hand. “You must be exhausted.”

“I think the medication for the pain is definitely kicking in,” he said as he yawned again.

“I'll let you get some sleep, then,” she said, standing up. He reached over for her wrist with his good hand and she looked at him. “Rory?”

“Do you think you could stay tonight?” he asked quietly.

She looked at him, then nodded slowly, sitting back down. “Nothing happens though, not that I think you'd be awake enough to try.”

“Trust me, I think I'm going to pass out as soon as I get under the blanket.” He let go of her wrist. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” she said, giving him a smile. She leaned over and stopped with her face inches from his, then leaned forward more and kissed him softly. He kissed her back, and when they were done she pulled away and got off the bed. He got up as well and she went around to the other side and they got into bed. He pulled her close against him as he yawned again, and he realized while he knew that today was the beginning of his second serious relationship she didn't know that yet. Still, she'd probably figure it out soon enough. He had picked a very good woman to settle down with, he knew that deep down, and for that he was happy.


	10. Chapter 10

**One Year Later**

“So you're actually moving out?” Sherlock asked as Rory taped up another box in his bedroom. Sherlock was lounging in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

Rory nodded. “Molly likes her home a lot. And River let it slip that she has half-siblings on my side of the family. I don't think we can all live here comfortably. And you don't like kids.”

“I make an exception for John's son,” Sherlock pointed out. “I'd make an exception for any children you might have. As it stands, I already make an exception for River.”

“But that's River. I'm talking about a tiny infant that screams their lungs out at three in the morning,” Rory said with amusement, a grin on his face.

“I don't want you to leave,” Sherlock said quietly.

Rory stopped what he was doing. “You really don't, do you?” he said, the grin dropping. He gave Sherlock an intent look instead.

“Yes, I really don't want you to leave.” It looked as though he was going to say more but then they both heard footsteps bounding up the stairs. “I think we're about to have company,” he murmured.

Sherlock moved out of the way and a moment later Molly poked her head through the door. “Don't pack your stuff just yet,” she said, slightly breathlessly.

“Why?” Rory asked, his brows furrowing slightly.

She came into Rory's room more. “You know how my building is old? Like, really old?” Both Rory and Sherlock nodded. “They looked at the foundation this morning, some inspectors. The whole building is being condemned because it's a structural hazard.”

“Then you can stay here,” Sherlock said brightly.

“That was not the plan,” Rory said with a groan.

Molly glanced at Sherlock. “You seem overly happy that I'm losing my home,” she said, glaring at him slightly. “If I find out you were behind it I'll kill you in your sleep. And I'll get away with it, too.”

Sherlock raised his hands. “I swear, I had nothing to do with it. I'm just happy Rory isn't leaving.”

“He really didn't want you to go, did he?” Molly said, turning to Rory.

“No, he did not,” Rory said, shaking his head. “I think he has abandonment issues.” Sherlock glared and Rory chuckled slightly. “I'm kidding.”

“I know,” he said, though he was still pouting slightly. Rory just chuckled louder. “It's not _that_ funny.”

“Yeah, it kind of is,” Molly said with an amused grin. “Look, I have a week to move out. We can live here, I guess. But both of you get to help me pack up. And I'm staking claim to some of the sitting room and the kitchen.”

“Do we get new furniture in the sitting room?” Sherlock asked, perking up slightly. “Because other than my chair and my desk I could stand to see the rest go. The couch is uncomfortable now and the rest of the room is boring.”

“I was hoping you'd suggest that,” Molly said with a nod. “I do love my furniture quite a bit.”

“Well, considering I'm still using John's old furniture it wouldn't hurt to have your bedroom furniture in here,” Rory said thoughtfully. “I do like your bed better.”

“I'm lucky you got the second biggest room in the flat,” Molly said, turning back to Rory. “It would be better if we had Sherlock's bedroom, though.”

Sherlock was quiet for a moment. “I don't see why not,” he said thoughtfully.

Both Rory and Molly turned to him, jaws dropped. “Come again?” Rory said.

“Logically, there are two of you sharing the same space so you should get the biggest bedroom. My belongings will all fit in here, and seeing as how I don't ever expect to have any romantic entanglements I won't need to share this room,” he said with a slight shrug. “And I really want him to stay.”

Molly laughed and hugged Sherlock. He was surprised for a moment but then he hugged her back. “I had a week off to help Rory move in. Guess we can just do the opposite now. I see the three of us having a lot of heavy lifting in our immediate future,” she said. Then she let go of Sherlock and moved over towards Rory. “I suppose I need to take those boxes off your hands. You better come over and help me pack, though.”

“I will. I promise. And there's more in the sitting room,” he said as he handed her the untaped boxes. She gave the two men one last smile and left the room. Rory turned to Sherlock and looked at him intently for a few moments. “You swear you had nothing to do with her building getting condemned?” he asked.

“Absolutely nothing.” He looked over at Rory. “I didn't see the ring on her finger.”

“I haven't proposed yet. I had planned on doing that when we'd started living together. Guess I'll just have to propose here.”

“I'll make myself scarce when you do. I get the feeling you'll want to be alone afterward.”

“Probably,” Rory said with a grin. He handed Sherlock one of the taped boxes. “Take this downstairs. If I have to spend all day at her flat helping her pack you have to come with me.”

“Of course,” he said with a nod. “I'll meet you downstairs.” He turned at that point and left Rory alone in his room.

He set down the packing tape and went over to his nightstand, pulling out the ring box. He didn't have to wait until she was completely moved in, he thought to himself as he opened it and stared at the diamond ring inside. He could always propose tonight. He heard footsteps coming back up the stairs and quickly put the ring back in his nightstand. Molly stood at the doorway, grin on her face. “Well, aren't you coming?” she asked. “You didn't tell me you have a million boxes downstairs, and all the packing stuff. I need help loading it into the car.”

“Yeah, I'm on my way,” he said with a grin, picking up the other taped box. He moved over to her and used his free hand to touch her face gently. “I love you, Molly,” he said quietly.

She leaned in and kissed him. “Love you too, Rory,” she said when she pulled away.

“The boxes aren't going to move themselves!” Sherlock called from downstairs, causing them both to laugh.

“Come on, let's go,” Rory said, and the two of them went down the stairs. This was all he could have asked for, he thought to himself. All he could have asked for and more.


End file.
